Posture demonstrating device



A. B. PUDDICOMBE 'POSTURE DEMONSTRATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet `1.

ma mw M V w mw .W P M Sept. 21, 1948.

Filed April 19, 1946 Sept., 21, 1948. A. B. PUDDICOMBE POSTURE DEMONSTRATIG DEVICE 2 Shset--Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1946 INVENTOR. /er Bruce Rnb/:combs Wwf/Wdh@ Patented Sept. 21., 1948 NITED S T FgIgCIE Y l2,449,715 PGSTURE ADEltfIjNSTRAI'lING; `Albert Bruce 4ituddicomhe, North Hollywood,

Cal-if., assigner lto .Angeleaali Bernard H. Stauffen Los Application 'August 19, 1946, Serial No. n691,536

.incorrect posture is perhaps one of lthe comkm'on causes of manyiof the ailments 4which torture mankind, for incorrect posture over a `periodV `of 'time results in deformity of the spinal tract,

whereby restricting pressure is placed vuponnerve center's controlling reexes throughout the body,

andwhichcondition can andedoes cause, nfaggravated Aleases,` physicaldeformity `impaired phys1- lcal functions, aches and pains from ivhichordi- 'narytherapy can give no relief.

'The preceding statement is largely ya :matter -of :commonknowledge,` however, `many people, While `loe'ing""aware that correctness of postureis` de .sir-able from ya heal-th standpoint,'do`not under *stand fthe reasons 4why pos-ture is important, -nor `dovthey understand the forces at play' when-the spinal tract is distorted nor do they associate such a condition with carelessness or `slouching in either standing or sitting posi-tion.

Accordingly and in view ci the preceding An advantage of the present-invention resides `.in the fact, that the device beingsmalLis readily `transportedfrom place fto place for demonstrating or'oth'e'r exposition, `whereby asreat man1T people lInayiloe shown visually, 'the-effect of incorrect pos- Iture and its-relationship to good health and ivigor.

A further advantage of the invention resides rin the fact that as conceived, V'the `deviceiisy easily, :quickly and cheaply made, lthe `'several component `parts thereof being preferably saived *from Aplywood, while the metal strips u-sedto forrnthe leverage system to obtain or elect-integrated lmovement ofthe several parts lof the device; are 4readily available at low cost, thus'bringing the Aeducational advantages thereof, Within'theleconomic reach of all interested perscnsoi` groups, l such as schools, gymnasiums, "health centers,

medical-centers and others.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention may be apparent `from the" following specification, `the subjoined claims, and the accompanying drawing."

In the drawingz` Figure 1 is a front elevational view demonstrat- "ine correct standing posture,` and showing the "several divisional component parts of the device 2 claims. (c1. 3s- 129i `region or th'ehips.

fin "hinged relationship, the one .with respect to the other, whereby pivotal movement thereofl iis lobtainable and 'comparablesin' movement with yanalcngous par-ts .offthe lbody and,

'Figure 2 isfalsideaelevaticnal view sh'owingconstruction and ldisposition iofiparts shown in both (fullla'nd in dotted1ines=n'Figure 1.

Figure 3 `:is a vieWf'si-milar to Figure "l, `except- .ingtha't the :above referred to, "several divisional component parts `of the -device,`have been moved in conformity with 'natural physical processes Ilin- -hererltin' incorrect posture; whereby deformity :and/or.misalignment'iof the spinal tract at each of the critical fulcrum -points of ythe'sk'eletonal Afrairneofth'e :bod-yis shown in clear and [unders'ta'ndableiform.`

' Figure l is a wien/'analogous to-Figure 1, exceptingitha't here ythe leverage mechanism used yto control Amovement of the several divisional com ponent parts of the device, 'isshown in detail: and Figurev'is -a view generally analogous 'to Figiuref-S, excepting that in this view the leverage system is shown in elevation in the position `to which 'it is' 'inoved tovi'llust'ra'te incorrect posture.

n drawing the reference character Zlll int'dicatesfthe 4device of this invention, as a whole, VAbeing'tunctiona'lly supported upon a suitable loack-drop'or standard '22, `as `Will be more parvticularly pointed 'out as this text isideveloped.

"Since the deviceof this invention Iis formed of -a plural lnurnher of separable piecesor elements vwhich hear direct analogy' `to the several major `:divisiona'l` parts of Ythe human body, such parts or elements of the devicemayioe identied as fol- ?lows, and in which'the 4reference character 24 in- -dicatesfth'e head 'and neck, while the numerals 26, 2',"130, 32; 314, and 35 1in `their order, respectively `indicate, theshoulders, the trunk Aor torso,. the

pe'lviclregion, the' upper "leg, the lower leg,` and itheffeet *shown inthedrawing, the feet Iare immova'bly and fixedly secured -to-the standard22, While @the ankle portion of the lower `leg is hingedly connected at 38 with the feet 3S, while a pin or other vsuitable mechanical arrangement 4l] 'hingedly joins'fthe 'upper fand llower leg in forming a knee :joint i A `screw or .pin cl2 extending ffrcm theupper iportlon of fth'eiupper leg 32 into the part 30 serves to form theoint-between the upper leg and pelvic A screw M Vextends' through the part 3!! and-the -llerlolock *46 and into the standard P22, yprovides a `fulcrurn point 'about whichlthe leverage systemi', used to actuate the deviceflis rotatable, and also serves as f`a`hing`e form movement of th'e pelvic or hip portion 30 in its articulated relationship to the device as a whole.

A pin 52 in the part 30 and extending inwardly toward the standard 22 therefrom, is adapted to move through a slot 54 formed in the lower edge portion of the torso 28, serves to impart movement to the` torso as will be more fully set forth in connection with a description of functional use.

The torso and shoulder are hingedly united by means of a suitable pin 56, and the head 24 and shoulder 26 are hingedly joined one to the other by means of the pin 58 or other suitable means the equivalent thereof.

Attention is now directed to the leverage system 50 which is adapted to impart articulated movement to several of the divisional parts of the device.

As shown in the drawing, a metal plate or lever 60 lies upon the inner face of the iiller` block or lspacer 46 and is held immovable with respect thereto by means of screw 44 and the screw 45,

vthe latter of which also serves as a means to hingedly secure a vertically disposed met-a1 strap 62 in functional relationship thereto. The strap 62 is fulcrumed upon the part (torso) 28 by means of the pin 64, and is provided with a pin 66 xedly secured thereto and which extending through a V notch formed in the upper edge portion of the part 26, enters the neck-like portion of the part 24 to impart relative movement thereto. The extreme upper end of the strap 62 is slotted as shown at 68 to receive a pin 'lll xedly secured in the standard 22, the pin and slot arrangement serving to permit movement in the strap 62 while concurrently holding movement thereof within fixed limits to obtain a movement of the several parts of the device which closely approximate movement of corresponding parts of the body when in incorrect posture,

A second strap, or strap 18a is hingedly secured or joined at 12 with the lever 6l] in the forward end portion thereof, and at 14 to the part 26 at a point thereon which would correspond with the chest in the human body, thereby providing means to raise and lower or to provide articulated movement therein when other parts of the device are actuated as will be subsequently shown.

As previously stated, the prime object of the invention is to provide, a simple, practicaL'and low cost means to visually demonstrate correct and incorrect posture, and at the same time, to show the manner in which each of the several major parts of the body move in re-alignment from normalcy when the pelvic region is moved from balance, and whereby undue pressure is placed upon the spina1 tract or portions thereof. The device also demonstrates visually, the deleterious eiect of bad posture upon th'e chest, and the abdomen, in as muchas the former definitely moves toward a flat and collapsed condition, while the abdomen sags, thereby permitting many of the internal organs to drop away from normal functioning position.

As shown in Figure 1, the line 80 is indicative of normalcy of posture,l in which position, the head is erect with' the chin land chest out so that full normalcyof respiratory action may be had, and at the same time, the abdomen yis drawn in and is taut, so that the lowerorgans are held back in normal position, 'and thereby normal functioning thereof may be had.

If finger pressure is placed upon the pelvic part 30 as indicated by the arrow A, the upper and `lower leg hinge iorewardly upon the knee portion 4D, while the lower leg 34 pivots at 38 upon the xed or immovable foot portion 36. Such movement of the pelvic region effects a foreshortening of the over-all length of the leg and is indicative in the human body of a dropped or lowered pelvic bone. At the same time, the pin 52 moving with the part 38 and operating through the slot 54 in part 28, thruststhe lower torso 28 forwardly, giving the effect of a sagged abdomen, while concurrently therewith, the spacer 46 and the lever 68, moving with the part 38 in partial rotation around the screw 44, causes the strap 10a to move downwardly and causing th'e chest 26 to move toward a lower and more flattened position, as is clearly shown in Figure 3.

Movement of the lever 68 also causes the strap 62 to be lowered and causes the part 28 to slump downwardly by reason of the connection thereof with the strap 62 through the pin 64, and the abdomen of the part 28 is caused to Slouch' forwardly because of pressure placed thereon by movement of the pin 52 operating in the lost motion slot 54 as previously mentioned. The movement thus had, clearly shows in true likeness, the degree of sag in the abdomen when in such incorrect posture as standing with one knee in bent position, as illustrated in Figure 3; also, since the parts 26 and 26 are h'ingedly connected by means of the pin 56, and since the strap 10a is connected with the part 26 through pin 14, movement of the strap 10a causes the part 26 to be given a movement which tends to rotate about the pin 56 While being concurrently moved downwardly withv the part 28. At the same time the part 24, being hingedly connected with the part 26 by pin 58, is moved in la rotational direction about the axis of the pin 58, causing a lowering of the head.(part 24) tov substantially the positions shown in Figures 3 and 5.

The pin 1l! which is Xedly secured in the standard 22, operates through the lost motion slot 68 and holds the strap 62 in substantially vertical alignment, yet at the same time permit-V ting enough lateral movement in the other end portions to accommodate such movement as may be necessary in view of the connection thereof with the plate 60 and movement of the spacer 46 and plate in partial rotation around the axis of the screw 44.

In describing an interlocked movement of the type herein involved, a start m-ust be made at one given point, however it will be apparent that upon rocking-the pelvic member 38 upon the fulcrum 44, all of the related and mechanically joined parts start to move to or from their then point of beginning, and all fall into or move away from a slouching position simultaneously or substantially so,-and not in detached movement vof iirst one of the component parts and then of a second component part, and so through the whole of the assembly.

The preceding description of construction involved in making the device of this invention and of articulated movement between the several component elements, is believed to be inclusive thereof, and from which `it will-be apparent to those concerned that I have developed a novel means in a mechanical device to visually demonstrate the relationship between incorrect posture and abnormalcy of position of the head, chest and abdomen, including tortuous bends and pressure points created in thespinal column as indicated by each of the several breaks in line 86 of Figure 3.

. It is further believed that if the demonstration which is here made possible, will be serious- 5 ly studied and correct observation thereof made, that better posture, with entailed better health and vigor will follow.

Having thus described my invention in its presently preferred form, and while being aware that variations in form thereof .may be had, that which I believe to be new and within the scope of the invention is dened in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, two articulated parts formed in simulation of corresponding parts of the human body, and means to move said parts to and from a normalcy compatible with accepted standards of correct human posture when in standing position, said means comprising two metal straps, one of said straps being hingedly joined to a head part and a trunk part of said device, the other of said straps being hingedly joined to the chest part of said device, both of said straps also being hingedly connected with the hip part of said device, and a, lost motion means operating between said hip part and said trunk part, whereby upon clockwise rotation of said hip part said trunk part is extended, a principal fulcrum means extending through the hip part of said device and a standard to support said fulcrum, and with it said device in operative position.

2. In a posture indicating device, including a standard to support said device, a plural number of articulated parts formed in simulation of 6 analogous parts ofthe human body, a pelvic region part, said part being oscillatable about the longitudinal axis of a screw passing through said part and into said standard, a leg part, said leg part being hingedly connected with said pelvic region part and with an immovable foot part, a trunk part, a shoulder part, and a head part, said trunk and head parts being hingedly joined with said shoulder part, said head, shoulder and trunk parts being articulated with respect to said pelvic and leg parts, and a leverage system to actuate certain of said parts in simulation of movement of analogous parts of the body when in incorrect posture, said leverage system being movable in response to movement of said pelvic part and being hingedly joined to said trulnk, shoulder and head parts, and means operable between said pelvic and trunk parts to move lthe lower end of said trunk forwardly upon clockwise rotational movement of said pelvic portion.

ALBERT BRUCE PUDDICO-MBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 25 nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

